Streets ahead

Reporter: By Gillian Potts
Date published: 22 December 2014


HEART-OF-GOLD hairdresser Wendy Mayall is swapping a cosy family Christmas for the freezing streets of Manchester to spread goodwill and festive cheer.

Instead of tucking into turkey and opening gifts on Christmas Day, Wendy, who owns Streaks Ahead, in Thompson Lane, Chadderton, will be dishing out home-made butties, soup and hot drinks to the homeless, alongside husband Jason.
And she says it will be truly the best Christmas present to see the smiles of gratitude from those they manage to help.

In the run up to the big day she’ll be cooking stuffed turkeys to make festive muffins and Jason is making Christmas soup, which, she says, “will have everything in you have in Christmas dinner.”

The pair — and Wendy’s sister, Julie Mellor — will then don their Christmas jumpers and Santa hats and head off on their merry mission.

Wendy has also been helping a friend who has helped the homeless off the streets over the last few months.

Through Facebook she’s had furniture, household items and kitchen accessories donated to get them on their feet and she’s making up Christmas hampers for them as a special festive surprise.

Wendy says their homeless campaign has snowballed since it began by helping two friends who were using a tuk tuk van to dish out food early this year.

Since then, thanks to her hard-working staff, generous customers and Facebook friends, Wendy has raised hundreds of pounds and dished out food, tents, clothes and sleeping bags.

It all started by asking customers to make a donation for a cup of coffee in the salon and with the funds she’s bought food, essentials and equipment to help her during her trips to the city streets.

She’s made panfuls of potato hash, chicken stew and soup and dished out the heart-warming food with her sister Julie.

But her kind-hearted campaign suffered a cruel blow recently when thieves broke into the salon and stole £60 from their collection box.

However, the despicable act didn’t deter Wendy and her team and within a couple weeks they raised more than they’ve ever done before — a whopping £580.

“The break-in was the most upsetting thing for us,” said Wendy, who lives in Rochdale.

“We are trying to do some good for people who really need our help and someone does that. We had another attempted break-in last week but thankfully they didn’t get in.

“But we were determined it wouldn’t get us down and the customers have been more generous than ever. I can’t thank them enough. Someone even sent us loads of sweets to cheer us up but there were so many we decided to bag them up and sell them to raise more money.

“On Christmas Day we will try to help as many people as possible to give them a little bit of Christmas. My sister is saving us a plate of Christmas dinner for later in the day and we’ll have another get-together on Boxing Day so we’ll still have some family time.

“It’s been a real eye-opener doing this. I’ve seen some real suffering.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions out there about the homeless but when you meet them and get chatting to them they are lovely people who quite often end up in these circumstances through no fault of their own.

“There’s one guy I see who has a recorder. He’d got it because if you have an instrument you’re classed as a busker not a beggar and the police don’t move you on.

“He said he couldn’t play it and I said ‘I know, I heard you near the Christmas Markets last week!’”

“They’re so grateful when you give them something it makes your heart melt.”

All the money has now been put to incredibly good use buy more sleeping bags, rucksacks, food and winter woollies.

Wendy will be back on the streets with a renewed determination next week to hand out 17 rucksacks filled with thermal socks, underwear, hats, gloves, toothpaste and brushes and wind-up torches.

Wendy’s employee Kelly Wright, who contacted the Chronicle in the hope of getting Wendy some recognition for her kindness, said: “I just think Wendy should be recognised for the hard work she has been doing to help people who have ended up on the streets through no fault of their own.

“I am so proud to be a member of the team at Streaks Ahead and fully support all the hard work.”

Anyone with any food to donate for Wendy’s hampers such as tins, biscuits, coffee or tea, can drop them off at the salon.